The present invention relates to disk recording-playback devices for recording data on disks and reproducing the data therefrom, disk trays for use in the device, and a method of ejecting the tray.
The present applicant has already proposed a disk recording-playback device as shown in FIG. 43 (see JP-A-297904/1996). The proposed device has in its main body 100 a stacker 7 accommodating trays 4 in a plurality of stages for placing a disk on each tray. Disposed forwardly of the stacker 7 is a holder 700 movable upward and downward for placing the tray 4 thereon as delivered from the stacker 7. A recording-playback unit 2 is disposed under the path of up-down movement of the holder 700.
The tray 4 is movable into and out of the stacker 7 rightward, i.e., in a loading direction, and leftward, i.e., in an ejecting direction, in FIG. 43. The tray 4 as stowed in the stacker 7 is held thereto by a latch mechanism (not shown). When to be loaded or ejected, the tray 4 is released from the stacker 7.
As shown in FIG. 44, the tray 4 has a large recess 400 for placing therein a disk with a diameter of 12 cm (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9clarge disk xe2x80x9d), and a small recess 410 positioned at a lower level than the large recess 400 concentrically therewith for placing therein a disk with a diameter of 8 cm (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9csmall diskxe2x80x9d). One of the large and small disks is placed on the tray 4. The tray 4 is formed with a window 420 as a common opening for the large and small recessed portions 400, 410. A recording or playback beam passes through the window 420. A specified tray 4 is loaded by vertically moving the holder 700 to the level of that tray 4 first, then delivering the tray 4 from the stacker 7 onto the holder 700 and lowering the holder 700 onto the recording-playback unit 2 to set the tray 4 in position on the unit 2.
When to be ejected, the specified tray 4 is released from engagement with the stacker 7 in the case of the conventional recording-playback device, so that if the device main body 100 is installed as inclined as seen in FIG. 46, the tray 4 is likely to slip out of the stacker 7 and fall onto the unit 2. The tray 4 is then not ejectable, and the disk in the tray 4 is likely to become damaged.
Further even if a fall of the tray 4 is avoidable, there is a likelihood of the disk D falling onto the unit 2 from the inclined tray 4. Especially, the small disk, which is in contact with the tray 4 over a small area, is in contact therewith with small friction and is liable to slip out.
An object of the present invention is to prevent the tray from falling toward the recording-playback unit and to prevent the small disk from slipping out of the tray when the device main body is installed as inclined.
The present invention provides a disk recording-playback device which has mounted on a chassis 1 a stacker 7 accommodating trays 4 in a plurality of stages for placing a disk on each tray, and a recording-playback unit 2 positioned forwardly of the stacker 7 for recording or reproducing data on or from the disk. The disk is held between the unit 2 and a clamp plate 200 positioned above the unit 2.
Further mounted on the chassis 1 are a deck lift unit 6 for raising and lowering the recording-playback unit 2, and lift control means positioned between the chassis 1 and the recording-playback unit 2 for operating the deck lift unit 6 to locate the recording-playback unit 2 at a desired level.
In the following description, the direction in which the tray 4 slidingly moves from the stacker 7 toward the recording-playback unit 2 will be referred to as xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9cloading direction,xe2x80x9d and the direction from the unit 2 toward the stacker 7 as xe2x80x9crearward.xe2x80x9d The direction in which the tray 4 is delivered from the stacker 7 to the outside of the recording-playback device will be referred to as an xe2x80x9cejecting direction.xe2x80x9d
When one of the trays 4 is to be ejected from the stacker 7, the lift control means positions the recording-playback unit 2 as opposed to the tray 4 to be ejected and blocks the path of movement of the tray 4 to the unit 2 with the clamp plate 200 or the unit 2.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 19, the tray 4 is provided with a slipping-off preventing piece 500 positioned forwardly of a large recessed portion 400 and lapping over an end part of the large recessed portion 400, and a contact wall 510 positioned forwardly of the piece 500. When a disk is about to forwardly slip out of a small recessed portion 410, the piece 500 comes into contact with the upper surface of the disk, and the contact wall 510 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the disk, preventing the disk from slipping out of the tray 4.
Even when the tray 4 to be ejected is about to slip off forward in the case where the main body of the device is installed as inclined on a desk, the path of movement of the tray 4 to the recording-playback unit 2 is blocked with the clamp plate 200 or the unit 2. This obviates the likelihood that the tray 4 to be ejected will fall toward the unit 2.
Even if the tray 4 is prevented from falling toward the unit 2, there is a likelihood of a small disk on the tray 4 slipping out forward. However, even in such a case, the disk has its upper surface confined by the slipping-off preventing piece 500, with its peripheral edge in contact with the contact wall 510. Accordingly, the small disk is prevented from slipping out of the tray 4.